CRISIS: Equestria - Divergence

by GanonFLCL

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Confession

Silvertongue watched as Winter closed the portal after Twilight departed through it. She seemed particularly melancholy as she did so; her body language and the expression on her face were little more than books to him.

He understood all too well the sort of emotions she must be feeling, to have somepony she cared for be taken from her because she had her duties. To what extent she cared for Twilight, he did not know, but he had a sense that it was far more than friendly. The feeling was definitely shared, too, judging from Twilight's own looks and body language. A pity, really.

As he watched her put that magnificent little pocket watch away, he felt a fleeting sense of curiosity in the back of his mind. The device was clearly powerful, capable of tearing open paths to other worlds with a potent energy source behind it—such as himself—and likely capable of much more. A part of him wanted to look at it and see what sorts of wonders the device held within it. All he had to do was take it.

She sighed and shook her head, wiping her brow of sweat. "Well, that's it. It's all done." She looked up at the sky. "I'll be honest, up until this exact moment I've been waitin' for ya to try somethin' fishy. Ya don't exactly inspire a lot of trust, do ya?"

But he had more important things to do, and so little time to do them in.

"No," he said with a small grin. "I suppose I don't. If the circumstances that led us all to this exact moment were even slightly different, you might just be right about me. I understand that sometimes my mission required me to commit atrocities of the highest caliber. There may very well have been a situation just like this one wherein I was the villain."

"Yeah, maybe," she muttered. "So, you've got no intention on gettin' me out of the picture, then? I know all about what happened here today. So do those stallions downstairs. You're not afraid of what might happen because we know too much?"

He laughed. "You're just trying to goad me at this point, aren't you? Do you have a death wish and hope to ignite some misbegotten fury in me?"

"I dunno. Maybe I'm just curious as to why you're being so… cooperative."

"What would you do with such information about today, hmm? Resist the coming changes? You know as well as I do what Nihila was capable of, the things she had her servants do before I was even a glimmer in my father's eye." He shook his head. "No, I see no reason to do anything but ensure that my daughters continue with the next stage of my mission: making the north a better place, and repairing the damage that I have done."

She turned to face him. "And how do you plan to do that?"

"That isn't important for you to concern yourself with. If my daughters choose to involve you in any capacity, that is their prerogative. All that should matter to you now, Miss Glow… is taking a moment to rest and reflect after a job well done. You have certainly earned it."

She paused a moment and nodded. "Yeah… I suppose I have…"

"Come, let us collect your other companions."

He didn't wait for a response, just lit his horn and teleported her and himself back into the dining room, where his daughters still waited, as well as the stallions Lockwood and Flathoof. He could tell that he hadn't interrupted anything important; at worst maybe he'd interrupted an awkward silence.

"Winter!" Lockwood said, rising from his seat. "Is it done? Are they safe?"

She nodded. "Yup, they made it to the other side, and now the portal's all sealed up. It's done; they're home."

He breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back in his seat briefly; Silvertongue couldn't help but notice it was his seat the stallion was in, but he hadn't the time of the inclination to care or say anything about it earlier. Things were moving fast and there was still much to do, so what did he care, really? He'd never sit in that seat again anyway.

"So, you must be Lord Silvertongue then?" Lockwood asked, standing from the seat and offering his hoof; the poor stallion was absolutely dwarfed by Silvertongue's size, enough that he looked a little comical with the offer, cordial though it was. "I suppose some thanks are in order, sir. I'm at a loss for everything that's happened here, but you helped my friends."

Silvertongue smirked, and declined the hoofshake. "No thanks are necessary, my good stallion. Your role in all of this was as much a help to me as anything I did might have been for you. If you wish to thank me for everything that has transpired, you may do so by returning to your homes, and to your lives, families, and friends."

"Great idea, I couldn't agree more," said Flathoof, also rising from his seat; the stallion was so eager to leave that he apparently didn't care if he seemed rude or not, and Silvertongue couldn't blame him.

Silvertongue turned to Dawn. "Dawn, dear, please ensure that our guests arrive home safely, if you would?"

Dawn rose from her seat and nodded. "Yes, Father." She turned to the three guests and gestured for them to gather around. "This will only take a moment."

Lockwood nodded at Dawn. "I, uh… I don't suppose given everything that's happened that any of us will ever see each other again? I know that I consider some of you friends," he said, looking amongst the mares. "I'd hate to think we'd lose that connection just because Twilight and her friends are gone."

"It is certainly within the realm of possibility," Dawn replied, though she kept her expression flat. "But I would estimate that that would be up to my sisters individual discretions. They are aware of methods with which to contact you."

"I certainly hope so; you all know where I live," he chuckled.

Dawn lit up her horn and, without teleporting away herself, sent Lockwood, Winter, and Flathoof away in a flash. She then turned to Silvertongue and nodded, a small smile on her face. "What is our next objective, Father? Now that our task is complete regarding Twilight and her companions, and now that you have become… your new self, I am at a loss as to what new direction we are taking."

Silvertongue nodded. "I do indeed have something more for you," he said. He turned to the others. "For all of you. If I have not yet made it clear, this city will be within your hooves soon enough. But time is short, and there is still yet much to do before—"

He paused, as that strange pulling sensation tugged at his very existence again. It had happened more than once while he was assisting Winter with the portal; it had happened while he was sharing a final conversation with Twilight. But now it was getting stronger, and he knew just what it was: the Dreaming was calling to him, drawing him from this plane of existence so that he could take his rightful place.

If he did not have a few more tasks to accomplish, he would allow the pull to take him and say his goodbyes now. But he resisted it, because there was still much to do and now little time to do it in, and to leave his daughters in such a fashion was… well, it was rude.

"Father? Is something troubling you?" Dawn asked.

He would be honest with her. It was time to start being honest with her, and with her sisters. "Yes, my dear: I will soon transition off of this mortal plane and into an immaterial one known as 'the Dreaming', a realm that I couldn't possibly give an accurate description to, as my experience with it is brief. This physical form of mine will be no more."

"You're leaving us?" Velvet asked, eyes wide, lips trembling.

"No, my dear, I am not. Not exactly," he said, shaking his head. "It is difficult to explain it in succinct terms, but once I have made the transition, we will no longer be able to speak to one another face-to-face. However, like Nihila before me, I will require a Warden of my own in order to communicate and interact with the material plane. I will let you decide amongst yourselves who you feel that should be.

"In the meantime, however, there is much to do before I can leave you. There are things I must tell you, and things I must show you." He turned to Dawn. "If you would, dearest, fetch Curaçao as soon as possible. You and your sisters are all to meet me at the main elevator on my floor of the tower in one hour."

Dawn looked to her sisters, nodded, then back to her father. "We will rendezvous with you there, Father."

*****

Silvertongue looked himself over in the mirror of his personal bedchambers for what he knew would be the last time. He'd always taken pride in his appearance, not just because Nihila had expected him to maintain it, but because that was how he'd been raised; he suspected Nihila forced him to keep up the appearances because she felt amusement in the fact that somepony so pristine would taint themselves with her essence.

She did a lot of things like that, actually, things that amused her at his expense.

In all his years, he'd known that Harmonia was a pillar of immeasurable beauty and absolute perfection, and the inability to put her purity into words, especially for somepony like him, had led him to believe that it was simply impossible to do. Nihila had been much the same, only he found it impossible to describe her terrifying allure and irresistible sensuality.

Seeing himself here and now, just standing in this mirror like a perfectly normal pony apart from the anatomy, helped put things into perspective. The sensation of perfection that came with interacting with alicorns was likely just due to the alien, unknowable nature of their immaterial forms. Having a physical body to look upon, regardless of how pleasant it was to see, was not nearly the same.

He'd removed his armor by this stage—the seared hole in the chest where he'd been struck was unacceptable to his eyes—and dressed not in his normal day-to-day dress clothes, but in a simple robe, much as his daughters had dressed in before: black silk with a red trim. He rarely wore it before now despite always finding it comfortable, and here he truly noticed that he couldn't feel the comfort at all.

For that matter, all other sensations—biological needs, really—had faded away within minutes of his transformation. He'd been feeling peckish while he waited on the roof for Twilight Sparkle and her friends to arrive, but now he didn't feel hungry in the least. He felt no urge to drink; he felt no urge to rest; he felt no urge to do anything, really, except resist that damned pull that was trying to draw him away.

Once he'd dressed, he glanced at the soulstone that he'd brought with him from the bowels of the Beacon, which he had since attached to a pendant that hung around his neck. The golden light contained within it was definitely flickering, like a firefly stuck in a bottle. "Soon, my Heart," he whispered, stroking the crystal slowly as he tucked it into his robes. "Soon."

He moved from his bedchambers out into the hallway, then towards the main elevator. It had been precisely one hour to the second, so he was not at all surprised to find his daughters waiting for him. They'd used the past hour wisely, grooming and dressing in more comfortable clothing, as well as removing the enchanted paints. He still didn't approve of Velvet's choice in clothes, but she was an adult and could dress as she pleased.

"Father," greeted Dawn with a brief curtsey. "We are prepared to proceed with whatever responsibilities you might have for us."

"Excellent," he replied. "Have you all by chance discussed the matter that we last left off with? The selection of the Warden amongst you?"

Dawn nodded, and though he knew she would normally bear a sense of pride in her next words, he could clearly see the sorrow in her eyes because she knew what it meant. "Yes, Father. We have come to the conclusion that I would be best suited for the station."

He didn't really expect anypony else, but he wanted them to know that they had the right to choose. "Wonderful." He then gestured for them to follow him into the elevator. "But first, we have some final business to attend to. Come."

They entered the elevator with him, and he closed the doors once the elevator was full. With his larger size, it was a tight fit within the elevator car, but it was not uncomfortable.

He removed a small panel below the normal push buttons that the elevator used to travel between floors, revealing a slot for a key, whereupon he removed the matching key from his robe's pocket, inserted it, and gave it a turn.

The elevator shook briefly, then made its way down.

"Only three ponies on my staff have access to what I am about to show you all," he said, looking upon their confused faces. "Myself, Doctor Blutsauger, and Overseer Pedigree; the latter two are the sole staff members of the project that have access to the main facility, which lies beneath Pandora Tower. Even Shroud is unaware of the details."

"What sort of facility, Father?" Dawn asked.

"You will see shortly, my dear, just be patient."

They rode the elevator down in complete silence, not even with a bit of music to help set the mood or calm the nerves; the damage to Pandora Tower as part of the ritual had not been slight, and though the elevator worked, the speaker system had been broken. An easy fix, but hardly a priority.

He could still feel that pull on the entirety of his being the entire ride down, and knew that he did not have long before it would likely be impossible to resist it, a couple of hours at most. A curious thought came to mind: was this what dying felt like? He'd heard many conflicting accounts on the subject, so the sudden thought amused him.

When the elevator reached the bottom floor, the doors opened to reveal a pristine white metal hallway, which ended in a matching door. No decorations lined the hall, and no signs or posters designated any specific points of interest. There weren't even any additional colors to see apart from plain, pure white, save for the bits of exposed silver that made up the framing of the hall and the door.

Silvertongue led his daughters out of the elevator and into the hall, and then stopped them all just before they arrived at the door. "Within the chamber beyond lies a special facility designed for a project that I considered crucial for a great many years," he explained. "It took centuries for technology and technomagic to coincide enough to make it possible, and the road has not been as successful as I would have liked.

"As you are aware, the ritual that was required to summon Nihila into our mortal plane was a precise process that required magic that is rare to find amongst unicorns, especially in some particular classifications." He turned briefly to Velvet. "Hemomancy, for example, rarely manifests in unicorns, and rarer still in the manner that it does for you, my dear."

Velvet raised an eyebrow. "You mean that I'm better at using my powers than unicorns are?"

"Precisely, to a point. It was all a part of the infusion process that granted you that gift, a process of which you are all aware of, as it has gifted you all with extraordinary abilities that non-unicorns are utterly incapable of."

Curaçao stepped forward. "Papa, what is on the other side of this door? What is it really?"

He could tell that she already knew the answer based on her tone, or at least had guessed closely enough, and was only asking for her sisters' benefit. She was the most intelligent among them, wiser and sharper than even Dawn, but did not seem to have the same need to flaunt it. It was why he trusted her with the most important tasks ahead of them all.

Silvertongue looked at her and gave her a sad smile. "The culmination of centuries of work meant to create ponies that could help me destroy Nihila."

"I do not understand," Dawn said. "What do you mean by 'create' ponies?"

"I mean exactly that. Artificially-created ponies, born not from a mother's womb but from a machine, and then infused with magic from the Beacon itself to grant them extraordinary powers."

"Extraordinary powers… like ours," Gray said, giving him a hard look.

"Correct."

Dawn scoffed. "Why would you require such ponies when you have us? Are we not the superior option, Father?"

Silvertongue sighed, and gently put his hoof on Dawn's shoulder. "Because… you are the end results of this project."

Dawn took a step back. "'The end results'? Wh-what are you saying? That we— no, that cannot be true. Father, that cannot be true."

"Of course it is," Gray said, still staring right at him. "It makes sense now, when you think about it. Haven't you ever wondered why we can't remember certain things properly?"

He felt a rush of pride in his daughter's intuition. He wished now more than ever that he had had the time to spend with each of them, to learn how they had developed themselves and what they'd grown to be. Gray gave off an air of indifference and apathy to the point of laziness, but he could see clearly that there was an observant, clever mare hidden behind that aloof exterior.

Velvet scratched her head. "Hey… you're right. There's all sorts of things I can't remember exactly, but I'm pretty sure that they happened. Like, I could never remember my first kiss, but I know I've been kissed before." She looked at her father, confused and hurt. "You mean… those memories aren't real?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "They are implanted and modified to resemble past experiences that would help to shape your personalities down to the tiniest detail. I needed you all for a purpose, and I molded you to fit that purpose to the letter."

"So, what, we're fake ponies?" Havoc asked, clearly anxious. "We're… we're not real?"

Silvertongue shook his head decisively. "No, my dear, you are not fake; you are very real, as real as myself, as real as the friends you have made over the recent weeks. All of that is real, and don't you ever doubt that." He sighed. "Your personalities are crafted from implanted memories, true, but you are just as real as any other pony."

"Why… why are you telling us this?" Dawn asked, shaking her head in disbelief. "Are you even our father? Are we even... sisters?"

"Biologically… no," he admitted. "But a part of me resides within each and every one of you, and you all share an unbreakable bond because of it. I played a crucial part of your creation. I was the one who molded your memories to turn you into the mares you are today; is that not akin to a father raising a foal?"

"It's not the same, Dad," Gray snorted.

"I understand completely that this news troubles you." He looked to Dawn. "I am telling you all this because you deserve to know. I could not tell you sooner because the success of my plans for Nihila depended on your not knowing, and I am deeply sorry that I have lied to you all this time—"

"All our lives, you mean," Curaçao interjected, giving him a hard look. "Papa, there is something more you are hiding from us. I do not know what it is, exactly… but I can tell that there is more."

He gave her a grin. "You were always the most astute amongst your sisters, Curaçao. Yes, there is more, but I am not hiding it; I was merely breaking the news to you slowly, for I feel that doing so all at once would be less pleasant."

"And this isn't less pleasant?" Velvet asked, gesturing at the situation around them like it had a physical being. "What else could there possibly be to tell us?"

He gestured towards the door. "The ponies beyond this door are young, only… three years of age, if I recall correctly. They were artificially created using the same process that other ponies are born with, utilizing genetic material provided by anonymous donors. The foals grow to maturity as anypony would, and age normally as anypony would.

"You, however… are very different," he continued. "You were not born here in these tanks, built from a combination of random donors and grown to maturity. You are the result of a different process which built upon templates that already had 'results', and so it was possible to bring you in line with the molds from which you were crafted."

"What the hell does any of that even mean? What the hell is a 'template'?" Havoc asked, growing increasingly agitated.

"It means we're clones of somepony else," Gray said simply. "He had somepony to base us off of, so he was able to recreate us the way he wanted."

"Is this true, Father?" Dawn asked, looking quite side indeed. "Are we… are we mere duplicates of somepony else?"

"I don't wanna be a clone!" Insipid cried, grabbing hold of Velvet. "I don't even know what that is, but it sounds bad and I don't want it!"

"After everything else that we've heard today, I'll be honest in saying I'm not even fazed anymore," Gray said with a shrug. "Our dad is centuries old, he falsely served as the personal assistant to Nihila for all that time, plotted to usurp her, and now we're finding out that he literally made us in order to make it happen."

"When you put it like that… it really doesn't seem so bad, does it?" Velvet asked, tapping her chin.

"What?" Havoc blurted. "C'mon, don't tell me this doesn't bother you at least a little bit, 'cause it's bugging me a lot."

"I mean… yeah, okay, my whole life has been a lie, but… it's been a pretty good life, hasn't it? We all got a chance to make some really good friends, and to thoroughly enjoy ourselves, and we helped daddy do something amazing. That's… that's all pretty neat, right?"

Curaçao chuckled and shook her head. "I am sure if circumstances were different, we would not likely be so happy with this information. But… I have found somepony who loves me," she said, looking Silvertongue straight in the eye. "So I know that even if I was not 'born', I am still real. These feelings I have for her, and her for me, are real."

Gray nodded, a sad smile on her face. "Yeah, well said."

Havoc let her hooves fall. "That… makes a lot of sense, actually."

Insipid sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve. "So, like, we're okay with this, or whatever? You guys really don't mind? 'Cause, if you guys are okay, I'm okay."

Dawn snorted. "I certainly do not find this truth particularly ideal, but… yes, I am in agreement with Velvet. The fact that I was not properly born into this world should make no difference to who I am." She looked at Silvertongue, more perplexed than anything. "Though I am still uncertain if 'father' is the proper terminology to represent you."

"If you wish not to consider me your father any longer… I will accept that," Silvertongue said with another sad smile, trying to hide the pang in his heart from hearing her question it at all. "But I do consider you my daughters. The part of my soul that I put in you when you were created still resides within each of you, like any father's would with his daughter."

Velvet nodded sagely. "Yeah, I'm fine with you still being Daddy to me. I mean, sure, you didn't make me the traditional way—boring—but you still made me." She tapped her chin. "Come to think of, though… what does that mean when it comes to having a mom?"

"The truth of that matter is that Nihila actually assisted me in creating you," Silvertongue admitted. "I could not funnel the Beacon's magic into each of you to grant you your abilities without her, and it was her magic that also allowed me to grant you all life. So, for all intents and purposes…"

Dawn laughed. "So, what she said was no fabrication."

"In a manner of speaking. But as I said to her, her contribution to your births was akin to nothing more than that of a distant aunt gifting bits to foals on their birthdays. She did not love any of you; you were nothing more than tools."

"And we're really not just tools to you?" Gray asked; a sincere question.

"You served a purpose, yes, and when I first decided to create you, I will admit that that was all I saw in you: a useful purpose, nothing more than a hammer with which to strike at the nail that was Nihila." He smiled, the kind of proud smile only a father could have. "But then you were born, and that part of me within you drew us closer the longer we were together. I care for you as I would any natural-born foal of mine."

Havoc put up her hooves to halt the conversation. "So, wait a second, moving back to the whole 'clone' business, you mean that there's another Havoc out there somewhere that I'm a copy of?" She crossed her hooves over her chest. "Well, wherever she is, I bet I could kick her ass!"

"Only you would brag about being able to kick your own ass," Velvet snickered.

Silvertongue shook his head. "No, I'm afraid the truth is far more complicated than that." He took a breath. "I implanted a codeword in your heads that, when activated, would alert you all to the whole truth. I am hoping that coming to terms with what I have told you thus far will help ease the remaining piece of information you are to receive. You are collectively what I have dubbed the Elements of Discord."

Instantly, all six mares' eyes went blank, and they cried out as visions raced through their heads all at once. He knew that the process would not be easy and in fact might even be painful; having one's head flooded with visions and truths often was. The process took only a few seconds, but once it was all over, the mares began breathing hard as they tried to process the information that they'd just been given; Havoc and Dawn fell to their rears, clearly more floored by the revelation than the others.

It would be easier now, because he'd told them the hardest part himself. At least that's what he hoped.

Dawn was the first to react, looking to Silvertongue with utter confusion, searching for answers in his face. "Father, I… I am a clone of Twilight Sparkle?" She didn't even seem like she believed her own question. He was relieved that she still considered him "Father" after all of that.

"Yes," he answered, looking over the group as a whole. "Each of you is a clone of one of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, as they are known as in their world. Nihila's magic allowed me to breathe life into you and infuse you with your abilities, even adjust your body structures, and then I molded your memories and personalities to be reflections of those you were copied from."

"But… why?" Gray asked, shaking her head. "Why not just leave us as we were, but with the powers we were given? Why change us so… so thoroughly?"

"Because Nihila wanted it that way, and I needed to contort myself to her whims in order to lure her into a false sense of security," he said simply.

"These changes, they are so… precise," Curaçao said, running a hoof through her mane, a troubled look upon her face. "You developed these personalities for us for such a specific purpose."

"Indeed. Had other circumstances come into play, the degree to which you would have been changed might have been substantially different." Silvertongue briefly stroked his chin. "I have often considered what might have changed had any number of events been slightly divergent. It always pays to consider all of the alternatives, no matter how unlikely."

"Wait a second though, hold up," Havoc said, raising her hooves. "I want to make sure I've got this straight, because I was noticing a pattern for a little bit then I lost it."

He nodded. "Please, ask away. Anything I can do to ease this influx of truths."

"So, Dawn is a clone of Twilight, got it, and that's why she was assigned to her?"

"A masterful decision," Dawn said, tapping her chin. "She and I are so alike in personality that it was… natural that we would develop a bond of camaraderie." She nodded in total acceptance of this fact, though perhaps not approval. "I understand that our companionship was genuine, and now I see that it is because I was designed that way. Does that make it less so?"

"That friendship was still real, my dear," Silvertongue said gently. "And you did not merely befriend Miss Sparkle because of how I altered your memories; you did it because of how you were raised, as any pony with your exact memories would most certainly have been. You are not Twilight Sparkle; you are Golden Dawn."

"Though I do obviously share her genetic material," Dawn noted. "I would find this more disconcerting if I… if I did not also find it incredibly intriguing. I require time to research the possible ramifications of our physical similarities."

Havoc rolled her eyes. "Okay, so, back to what I was saying, I get that Dawn is Twilight's clone, and that Insipid and Velvet are of Rarity and Pinkie—"

Insipid suddenly gasped, as though struck with a happy thought. "Wait! If I'm, like, a clone of Rarity that means… I'm just like her! She was so confident in me and junk, and I always wondered why because, like, I'm not as pretty as she is or as smart or creative, but like, she looked after me anyways. She was confident in me no matter what."

"Yeah? So?"

"So, that means that I should, like, have confidence in myself!" Insipid said, beaming. "Because, like, if Rarity had confidence in me, and I'm, like, Rarity Two, or whatever—I don't know how this works—then that means I should have confidence in myself, because Rarity did, and I'm Rarity, so—"

Curaçao chuckled. "You are going around in circles, ma sœur."

Velvet, also with a smile, chimed in. "I always loved how Pink and I got along so well, and now it all makes sense. We're not just Long-Lost Twin Sisters From Another World, I'm her, but different. That's pretty much the same thing, right? I'm not just some copy, I'm me, and that's great."

"Urgh! I'm trying to talk here!" Havoc shouted.

Everypony's attention switched to her.

"I get all of that shit! What I don't get is that I'm not a clone of Rainbow Dash. I'm a clone of Fluttershy. What the fuck is up with that? We're total opposites!"

"Same with Dash and me," Gray noted, scratching her head. "What gives, Dad?"

"As I noted, modifying all of you to cater to Nihila's whims required that I make tweaks and changes to your personalities that best fit with her desires, to a degree," Silvertongue explained.

"I still don't get it," Havoc said, scratching her head.

"Well, some of the Elements were easier to modify without changing much about you, which is why Dawn and Velvet are so similar to their originals. Some needed a little more input, which is why Insipid possesses a... youthful mind compared to Rarity, or why Gray is simply a different kind of 'cool', athletic mare compared to Rainbow Dash."

Gray nodded thoughtfully. "Okay… that makes a lot of sense, when you put it that way. Dash and I could probably be good friends, if we wanted to be, I guess."

"As for yourself and Curaçao, Havoc, you are the oldest amongst your sisters; you were the first two created, and as such were the first ones that Nihila had her eyes upon fully. So, the changes needed to be more drastic."

"Oui, I understand," Curaçao agreed. "Applejack, elle est honnête and she has a deep connection with her family, enough that even in this world, she forged a bond with a family much like her own." She shook her head. "But I am not like this. I keep secrets and deceive others like I was born to do it… because I was."

Silvertongue set a hoof on her shoulder. "But that does not make you a bad pony, my dear. You know that you love your sisters, and they love you. You know that your deceptions and secrets have all been for a purpose, and you do so with good intentions and an honest motivation."

She nodded. "Oui, Papa. I know another pony that keeps too many secrets and is well-regarded by others." Silvertongue knew it wasn't him she was referring to, necessarily; her reports on Lockwood certainly fit the description.

Havoc flung her hooves in the air. "What about me?! Why the fuck am I so fucking different from Fluttershy?"

"Because she is a shy individual with little ambition to change her station in life, content to go along with the flow of things if it makes others happy," Silvertongue said. "That is not to disparage her, of course, for her kind heart makes it easy for her to make friends and for others to care about her. However, all of these traits needed to be changed to appease Nihila's whims, and so… I made you.

"You are brash and loud, and your desire to improve and do better applies not just to yourself, but to others. You are not one to shy away from telling others what you think, even if it upsets them, because sometimes one has to be cruel to be kind." He grinned. "So really, you are just like her, deep down. That's the genius of my designs, really, and why Nihila never suspected a thing."

Havoc blinked, then sat back on her rear again to process all that. "Huh. Wow, yeah… that makes a lot of sense." She looked at him, eyebrow raised. "But why did Gray and I get assigned to each other's opposites? Why didn't Curaçao get assigned to Applejack?"

"Nihila wanted exactly that, but I convinced her otherwise. You are right insofar as you are too different from Fluttershy to make easy friends, but you and Rainbow made ideal companions. Gray might have been able to befriend Rainbow, certainly, but she would be more suited to befriending Fluttershy."

"Come to think of it, weren't Shy and Dash good friends in flight school?" Gray asked, nudging Havoc. "Maybe that's why we clicked so well?"

Havoc blinked. "Shit, yeah, that's right. Like a… whatever, in the back of our heads or something? Huh…"

"As for Curaçao," Silvertongue continued. "I could see that Applejack had no need for another companion beyond Captain Flathoof. I anticipated the pair bonding together, though I will be honest, I was not expecting their relationship to progress the way that it did."

He turned to Curaçao and set his hoof on her shoulder again. "So I assigned you to observe and learn everything you could about everything else, and to use your knowledge to assist your sisters now and in the future, because that is what you are best at."

Dawn nodded, still deep in thought. "This is all a lot of information to digest, Father, but… I think that I can learn to accept this. Your assessment is correct: I still feel… real. Even knowing that I was crafted, not born, and knowing that I forged my friendship with Twilight on a false pretense… I cannot claim that our friendship was anything less than genuine."

"Yeah!" Velvet said, wrapping Dawn up in a hug. "We made friends and stuff just like any real pony would! Who cares if we didn't get made 'cause Daddy got busy with some mare? That doesn't make us any less awesome!"

"And you're telling us all this not just because you wanted to be honest with us, but because of the facility behind that door?" Gray asked, gesturing towards said door. "Why?"

Silvertongue smiled. "Because the ponies beyond here are much like you, only they are young, and they did not have the advantages you all had. Now that Nihila has been defeated, these ponies realistically have no purpose. I figure that if anypony can help to give them a new purpose… it would be all of you. Shall we?"

The mares all looked amongst themselves then gave him a nod.

He opened the door and showed them into the facility beyond, which was no small chamber by any stretch. The central floor was large enough for a dozen or so ponies as well as numerous computers and other monitoring devices. Beyond that was a large, open arena similar to the one that Silvertongue had originally used to test his daughters' combat capabilities, only much smaller and more pristine.

To the left and the right were long hallways, along which were numerous small chambers each with little more than an economically-designed bed, a small locker, and a light fixture. There were a total of thirty-four such chambers, and in each of these was a young pony some three years of age.

There were fillies and colts alike, of course, of all three of the different pony tribes, though not in a neat division. There were more unicorns than pegasi, and more pegasi than earth ponies, that much was easy to tell. They all appeared healthy as far as Silvertongue could see, and he could definitely sense the magical energies that had been infused within each of them, same as with his daughters.

In the center floor were two stallions, one of whom was Doctor Blutsauger. Silvertongue had Shroud summon him to the facility the night before with instructions to remain here until he himself arrived; he'd been confident in his success with Nihila and in sending Twilight Sparkle and her friends home.

The other stallion was also a unicorn. He had a rich, light gray coat and a dark gray mane that he kept short, but styled neatly. Like Blutsauger, he wore a simple lab coat, though his was black rather than white.

Both stallions heard Silvertongue and his daughters enter the room, and both acknowledged his presence with a bow; both were also quite transfixed by the sight of his new height and wings, for they'd been unaware of his transformation and he surely looked incredibly fascinating in their eyes, if only from a scientific perspective.

"Guten morgen, Herr Silvertongue," said Blutsauger first, remaining bowed. "I arrived here as soon as you called for me."

Silvertongue bid them both to rise. "And a good morning to you as well, Doctor Blutsauger." He nodded at the other stallion. "Overseer Pedigree. It has been some time since I last visited. How are things?"

Pedigree nodded as well, but was dumbfounded by the question. "Lord Silvertongue, good morning. I am… well, sir. A bit tired from the early rise."

Silvertongue glanced between the two briefly, then grinned. "I will spare you two a detailed explanation on my current appearance, so let us just say that it has been quite an eventful morning." He shook his head and chuckled. "Hmm… I just realized that it isn't even noon, yet. So many years of effort and it's all over in a matter of hours. Amusing."

He cleared his throat, then gestured towards his daughters. "Blutsauger, I believe you already know my daughters?"

Blutsauger nodded, raising an eyebrow. "Ja, Herr Silvertongue. I see that they are all doing quite well. Very healthy, of course." Silently he applauded the good doctor's decorum in avoiding staring at Velvet's provacative choice in outfit.

Dawn nodded politely. "We are indeed, Doctor. Although, given the circumstances—" She suddenly paused, then turned to Silvertongue, arching an eyebrow. "He played a significant role in our creation as well, did he not, Father?"

"He did," Silvertongue replied.

"What would that make him in relation to us?"

Silvertongue laughed, then glanced at Blutsauger. "I suppose that if you wish to consider him anything more than 'Doctor', then an appropriate approximation might be… Uncle." He smiled at the doctor. "How would that sound to you, Doctor? 'Uncle' Blutsauger?"

Blutsauger blinked, taking the goggles from his eyes. "If that is what they wish to call me, then I will not object. I have never had any nieces before. No brothers or sisters, you see."

Pedigree's eyes widened. "Wait a moment, Doctor… are these the resulting mares you spoke of in regards to the project?"

Blutsauger nodded. "Ja."

Silvertongue smiled. "Then Blutsauger has already informed you of my daughters' creation and circumstances?"

"Yes, sir," Pedigree said with a nod. "I had been discussing with Blutsauger for months on whether or not we could utilize a new rapid-aging procedure on the candidates. We determined that the process would be unstable and dangerous because we would be unable to predict proper growth patterns, especially not if we attempted the process so late in their life cycles.

"But a few weeks ago, he told me that there had been a breakthrough. By utilizing cloned genetic samples rather than engineered ones, we would have a template to work off of for the aging process and could make corrections along the way to prevent abnormalities and defects." He gestured at the mares, a look of disbelief on his face. "And here they are, standing right in front us. Proof of our success."

Dawn snorted. "I would surmise that my sisters and I would appreciate not being referred to in such a fashion that we resemble mere science experiments, Overseer."

Pedigree paused, then nodded. "Ah, er… f-forgive me, I was just—"

"Pedigree tends to get engrossed in his vork, ja?" Blutsauger interjected, giving a hard look to the other stallion. "He has an absolutely brilliant mind for technomagics and genetic engineering, but he has trouble sometimes with social cues." He turned to Silvertongue, all smiles again. "So, Herr Silvertongue, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit, hmm?"

Silvertongue gestured to his daughters. "I have informed my daughters of the truth of their origins, and expressed a desire for them to see the work that went into making them into who they are today. Were they traditionally born, I would think it only proper that they have the opportunity to meet their birth parents, so I am of the opinion that this would be a suitable equivalent."

He then gestured towards some of the young ponies in the hallways. "Plus, this may serve as an opportunity to meet their… hmm. Their cousins, I suppose, in keeping with the familial terminologies. Though I will leave that to my daughters to decide upon."

"I would deem 'cousin' somewhat appropriate," Dawn agreed. "Though the age gap presented would make 'aunt' just as appropriate a title for us, I suppose."

Silvertongue looked out amongst the ponies with a slight frown. "I fear that I have not been so involved with the project as of late. I was under the impression that there were more than these few."

Blutsauger nodded sadly. "Ja, we originally began with one hundred potential candidates before we attempted the infusion process. While we only lost ten or so initially, I was hopeful that more would survive. I am told that we lost many more within days, und that the ones here are the only ones to survive through the whole month."

"There were more of these ponies?" Velvet asked with a frown. "And they died? Why? How?"

Pedigree pulled out a datapad and started scrolling through it. "The process of infusing them with the Beacon's magical energies is not exactly safe. Ten of the subjects died immediately after the infusion began; their bodies couldn't handle the energy. The remaining fifty-six succumbed to the harmful effects over the coming days, and about six weeks ago, we lost the last of them."

Silvertongue noted that his daughters were giving Pedigree some rather harsh looks—even Insipid—because of his rather clinical description of events. He personally understood and didn't disapprove of the Overseer's methods and technique—he had been hired for a reason—but he felt that was something that would likely be changing sooner rather than later.

"The thirty-four candidates present here are the only ones that have made it this far," Pedigree continued, gesturing into the rooms. "They are, however, stable; there is no threat of death from the infusion process any longer, at least not directly."

"Part of the problem is that we cannot infuse them in the embryonic stages, as the magics would just tear them apart immediately," said Blutsauger. "But we cannot wait until they are older than a few years, either, because then their bodies will reject it. The ones that would survive such a process would suffer severe physical trauma, and potentially develop psychological disorders, as Shadowstep did."

"Who's Shadowstep?" Dawn asked.

"He is of no importance," Silvertongue snorted, giving a hard look to Blutsauger; the deceased assassin's records had been expunged and Silvertongue would rather he not be brought to light. "What matters is that Blutsauger was able to adjust the process when we worked on all of you, so that you would not only be physically sound, but mentally as well."

"Ja," Blutsauger confirmed.

"So, these other ponies all have powers like we do?" Gray asked.

"Can we see?" asked Havoc.

"I think that shouldn't be too much trouble," Silvertongue said, looking between Pedigree and Blutsauger.

Pedigree nodded. "Not at all, sir. Let me summon one of the candidates onto the demonstration floor, and you will be able to see the fruit of our efforts." He pressed a number of buttons on the nearby panels; a door inside the testing chamber opened, as did one of the hallway doors further down the line, out of sight. "Two-Eighteen to the White Room."

After about a minute, a young earth pony colt entered into the testing area. He had a caramel brown coat and a chocolate brown mane, with a bit of charcoal gray at the end of his muzzle. He wore only a simple white shirt, nothing more, just enough to provide him with a modicum of dignity.

Everypony present gathered by the window to observe what was to come.

"He's just a little colt…" Velvet muttered, the sympathy in her voice palpable.

"Correct," Pedigree said matter-of-factly. "He's also one of the few candidates that have developed magical abilities that are safe to practice at such a young age. There are some who have been identified as possessing magic from schools such as Pyromancy, Electromancy, Cryomancy, and so on."

Velvet was incredulous. "You'd have a little colt or filly throwing around fire, like Havoc does? Or other dangerous things?"

He shook his head. "No, ma'am, not until they're old enough to safely practice." He gestured towards the colt in the testing room. "Two-Eighteen's ability is a variation of Umbramancy and is of no risk of bringing harm to himself or others because of lack of practice. Shall I demonstrate?"

Velvet looked to Dawn, who gave Pedigree a nod.

Pedigree pressed another button on the console. "Two-Eighteen, show us your powers." He then turned a dial on the console, and the lights in the room fluctuated such that there were wide patches of darkness. He turned to the others briefly. "I have to use smaller words at this stage of development; he's too young to understand more complex instructions."

The little colt looked up at the glass of the room; if the glass wasn't one-way only, he'd be able to see a collection of ponies eagerly watching him. He then took a deep breath and moved into one of the dark patches, then, to the surprise of the mares, he simply melted away into them. A moment later, the colt then appeared in a completely different patch of shadow on the other side of the room without any trace of movement.

Silvertongue nodded in approval, impressed to see another pony developing powers like Shadowstep's, and seeming at least to be mentally stable, if Pedigree was correct.

"That is quite impressive," Dawn stated, tilting her head. "He simply moves through the shadows, akin to teleportation?"

"Not exactly, but the appearance would seem remarkably similar in a heated combat situation. Watch again, and you'll see that it's not quite as you might think." He announced into the room again: "Another, Two-eighteen."

The little colt shivered a little, but nodded, then tried again to shift into the shadows. To Silvertongue's surprise, he could not do so. He looked to be struggling, in fact, and after only a short moment, he fell to his knees and started breathing heavily.

"What's wrong with him?" Silvertongue asked.

Pedigree harrumphed. "He usually has enough in him for two demonstrations at the least. Forgive me, everypony, I was hoping for a better display. One moment." He called into the intercom: "Two-Eighteen, get up and show us again."

The little colt looked up and nodded fearfully, then rushed towards the nearby shadow-covered wall. However, instead of simply melding into it, he slammed into it face-first and fell back to the floor and started shivering and crying, curling up into a ball as though trying to keep warm.

Velvet gasped. "He's hurt!"

"Dammit," Pedigree muttered, turning to the group. "Apologies for this failed display—"

"Why are you pushing him like that?!" she belted. "He's just a little colt!"

Pedigree blinked. "I—"

Velvet turned to Dawn. "Get me in there, sis."

Dawn raised an eyebrow, but seemed to understand the determined look on Velvet's face, and with a flash of her horn she teleported Velvet into the testing floor.

Velvet immediately rushed over to the little colt and wrapped him in a warm, motherly embrace. "There there, little guy… you don't have to cry," she said, barely loud enough for anypony to hear. "Velvet's here for you…"

Pedigree scratched his head. "Um… so, moving on." He turned to Silvertongue and nodded slightly. "Apologies, sir, I was hoping for a more impressive showing—"

"There's no need for apologies, Overseer," Silvertongue said with a hard look. "However, I will remind you that after today, my daughters will be overseeing any and all projects and undertakings within Pandora Tower, including this one, and we clearly have very different priorities. It might be wise to consider that."

"Ah… y-yes, sir." Pedigree turned to Dawn. "My apologies, ma'am, for…" He glanced into the testing floor at Velvet and Two-Eighteen. "For pushing Two-Eighteen too hard. I will temper that mentality in the future."

Dawn, also giving him a hard look, gave him a small nod if only to barely acknowledge him. "That would be wise, Overseer. After this display, I have little doubt that my sister will endeavor to ensure that the remainder of these candidates are cared for properly. We share a kinship with them, you understand."

He gulped. "Of course, how could I forget?"

Dawn then looked into the arena and asked, "Why was he affected in such a fashion? His first display of his capabilities was flawless."

"As has already been noted, the infusion process resulted in complications with the candidates that caused a number of them to expire prematurely," Pedigree said, tugging his collar. "For the survivors, the process was not universally successful, either. Some of them, like Two-Eighteen, have displayed various side effects when utilizing their abilities."

"And what is the byproduct of Two-Eighteen's abilities?"

"Utilization of his powers has shown to cause a drastic drop in his body temperature, sometimes to near-freezing levels. With practice, the effect might be lessened, though I have been considering other options, such as a temperature-regulating bodysuit."

"Then I suggest that you ensure that he receives one posthaste, Overseer," Dawn replied. "I will not tolerate anything less."

"Of course, ma'am, I'll see to that right away." Pedigree nervously looked amongst the mares. "W-well, I imagine that we're done with demonstrations for the day, but I don't suppose you would like to meet the other candidates, would you?"

Dawn nodded. "That would be appurtenant to the intentions of the visit, yes."

It took a few minutes, but eventually all of the remaining candidates were corralled into the testing floor; Silvertongue's daughters joined them, as did Pedigree, leaving Silvertongue and Blutsauger to watch from the one-way glass above. As he watched the young ponies gather together into a sort of presentation line, like a military unit, Silvertongue briefly turned to Blutsauger.

"You've done well with your work, Doctor," he said. "Not just with the Shadow Candidate program, but with my daughters as well. You should be very proud of your accomplishments."

Blutsauger turned to Silvertongue with a surprised smile. "Danke, Herr Silvertongue. Your praise warms my heart."

"I feel it might be pertinent to inform you of some of the upcoming changes around here. The others within my fold will find out soon enough, but considering the circumstances, I may as well tell you face-to-face."

"Oh? Like what?"

"Soon, I will be leaving New Pandemonium City forever," Silvertongue said matter-of-factly. "And when I leave, my daughters are being placed in charge. I have already instructed them to figure out amongst themselves how best to divide their duties or if they want any duties at all, but I am certain that at the very least, Dawn and Curaçao will be leading everypony in my stead."

Blutsauger paused, but nodded after a moment. "I see. They are the logical choices, of course."

"I have left instructions with Shroud on how to make the transition as smooth as possible, starting with appointing Dawn as the Committee's Shadow Associate. I know that between Shroud and yourself, there should be minimal struggles as the transition takes place." He set his hoof on Blutsauger's shoulder. "See to it that my work is continued."

"I will, Herr Silvertongue. You have my word."

"Thank you, Doctor. It has been a pleasure working with you."

Blutsauger smiled. "Ja… likewise, sir."

Silvertongue then turned his attention back to the testing chamber, where his daughters were overlooking the candidates of the project; Velvet, of course, was keeping the little Two-Eighteen at her side, though he looked a bit confused as to why she was doing so, as did the other youngsters. There was no malice or jealousy in their faces, though, just confusion.

Some of the young ponies possessed some physical qualities that made them stand out even amongst their own unique crowd, all of which were easy to see even from up here through the glass. These were all rather tame, such as odd coat patterns, or benign mutations like heterochromia, but also worth noting was that they were all physically fit.

"So, as you can see," Pedigree explained, going over the last of the candidates with Dawn, his datapad levitated in his magic, "all of these candidates are physically and mentally sound as of this moment—some side-effects and mutations notwithstanding—and I have been carefully monitoring them for signs of decay or potential complications."

"And they all possess magical abilities, even those who are not unicorns," Dawn repeated, apparently getting more and more used to the idea that her sisters were not entirely unique. "And what appellation did you bequeath upon this project again?"

"It was designated as the 'Shadow Candidate' project, for the operatives were to serve in Lord Silvertongue's employ as covert operatives that would operate outside of the parameters of the military. The potential to which they would be of use would be determined by a number of factors, most importantly as their infused magical abilities."

"Such as?"

"Well, I could not guess as to what your father might have utilized them for precisely, but… well, take Two-Eighteen for example. His Umbramancy manifestation would make him an ideal spy or wetworks operative. As for the others… hmm… "

Pedigree tapped through his datapad some more. "Let's see… Two-Oh-Seven does not possess a specific school of magic, but his ability to 'see' magical signatures would make him an ideal tracker or investigator. Or perhaps Two-Twenty-One's Mesmermancy would make her an ideal agent to manipulate individuals, such as politicians or business executives. Most of them are untested, so this is just speculation, of course."

"Your assessments will be taken into consideration," Dawn said. "Once Pandora Tower has been repaired, however, I wish to have these 'Shadows' moved into the tower proper and provided with adequate housing and meals."

Pedigree raised an eyebrow. "Ma'am?"

"I will not have our 'kin' be stationed in such ill accommodations and without the necessary accoutrements. They will be provided for and raised to join our ranks as equals, not slaves." She turned to him, arching an eyebrow. "I assume there is no objection?"

"No, ma'am, why would there be?"

"Because you keep referring to these ponies by numbers like some kind of asshole!" Velvet chimed in, stepping over to join in the conversation. "They're ponies just like you and me, buddy. So what if they were born in a lab, huh? You gonna start calling me a number, too?"

Pedigree hastily shook his head. "No, ma'am, I would never—"

"Then why don't these poor colts and fillies have names, huh?"

"B-because… well, we never really got that far; we didn't even know how many would live this long. Not only that, but it's not exactly an easy process. Typically, ponies are named at birth by their parents, and those names typically follow a sort of… theme, of sorts. My father's name was High Class, for example, and—"

"So, what, you just didn't want to try and get creative or something?"

Pedigree glanced up towards the glass. "I think Doctor Blutsauger and I expected your father to name the candidates properly when they came into his service. That would be years off from now, given their age."

Silvertongue sympathized, since that was likely how things would have happened if circumstances were different. He almost felt a little guilty that he'd technically robbed these ponies of that benefit when his daughters were born, but the fact that his daughters were taking such a keen interest in them was relieving.

"Well, we're gonna give them names," Velvet said with a sneer. "I'm not gonna go around calling ponies by some damn number. Ponies might think they're robots!" She turned first immediately to the young Two-Eighteen, and knelt down so they were face to face. "How about it, huh? Would you like a new name, little guy?"

The little colt looked briefly at Pedigree.

Velvet just turned his head back to her, like a concerned mother; Silvertongue was proud to see it happen. "Don't look at him, he's not important right now. Look at me, okay? I want to give you a name. Would you like me to give you a name?"

The little colt paused for a moment, then nodded.

Velvet smiled. "Good." She brushed his mane out of his face with a hoof. "You've got a pretty coat color, like caramel. I think that's what I'll call you, okay? Caramel… Rye. Your name is Caramel Rye. Does that sound good to you?"

The little colt nodded again; though it was hard to see from here, Silvertongue saw a small smile on his face.

"Good," Velvet said with another, bigger smile. She pulled him in for a hug. "It's wonderful to meet you, Caramel Rye. My name is Red Velvet."

Caramel slowly returned the hug.

*****

Though it took some time for his daughters to get things arranged with Pedigree, Silvertongue didn't mind at all. However, the pull was getting stronger by the minute, and by the time he and his daughters were leaving the facility and making their way back to the elevator, he felt the strongest tug yet, and could not help himself from stopping dead in his tracks to collect his wits.

His daughters noticed, of course. "Father?" Dawn asked.

He shook his head. "I… cannot resist the pull much longer," he said; he wasn't so much out of breath—he didn't need to breathe anymore in this form—as he was just feeling it hard to even maintain his mental focus. "My daughters… it is time."

Dawn's eyes widened. "So soon? No, Father, there is still so much left to do, and—"

"No, there is nothing more for me to do. I have done everything that was necessary. It is time for me to ascend properly into the Dreaming, and take my proper place in our world's hierarchy. It is time for me to bid you all farewell."

Insipid leapt at him first, latching onto one of his legs. "Daddy, no! You can't go! You never got to see any of my shows!"

Silvertongue pulled her in for a hug. "Insipid, my dear, you have grown into a beautiful, proper mare. I know that I have Miss Rarity to thank for putting you on this path, but a great deal of your success is through your own efforts. I know that you will be happy as you continue along this path of yours." With a smirk, he added, "Though I think you needn't be so racy with your poses."

"I love you, Daddy…" Insipid cried.

Silvertongue looked to Havoc next, as she was closest, and gestured for her to come to him. "Havoc, I meant what I said earlier: despite your crude attitude and brutal honesty, you have a kind heart deep down. You make me proud with how you inspire the best in others, and I hope to see you triumph over anything that stands in your way."

Havoc maintained a tough expression for all of a moment, then broke down in tears and rushed in to hug his chest. "Pops… Dad… I'm gonna miss you…"

"Dad," Gray said, stepping forward to wrap her hooves around his neck and taking care not to shove Havoc aside. "I know we didn't talk much, but… you know I love you, right?"

"Of course, my dear. Gray, you are stronger even than you look," he said, putting his wing around her. "I know your sisters appreciate the love and care you have for them, even if you have trouble showing it. Stay strong, though, my dear. I know that things might look hard for you in the coming days, but you are a rock that your sisters can rely on. Stay strong for them, and for yourself."

"I will…"

Silvertongue turned to Curaçao next, and she walked over so that he could run his hoof through her mane. "Curaçao, I'm so very happy for you, you know that? Not everypony out there is lucky enough to meet their soulmate," he said, looking down towards the soulstone hanging from his neck. "And even fewer manage to live happily ever with them. But you, my dear… I see nothing but love and happiness in your future. She makes you happy, doesn't she?"

Curaçao nodded. "Oui, Papa… she makes me very happy, and I do the same for her."

"Then that is all that is needed. Be happy together."

Velvet approached next and wrapped herself around his barrel. "Daddy, are you going to be okay?" she sniffed.

"I will be just fine, my dear," he replied with a smile. "The Dreaming is a place where there is no pain or suffering or sorrow. I will be safe there, and I will be watching over you and sisters, always. Do not lose that smile of yours, my dear, not on my account." With a smile, he added. "Though, might I suggest that you think about settling down with just one stallion?"

Velvet snorted. "Nice try, Daddy."

"A father can dream."

The sisters then all broke off of him so that Dawn could approach, leaping up to hug him around the neck. "Father… I am not ready for this…"

"I know, my dearest, I know," he said, returning the hug. "Nopony ever is. But remember, this is not the end of me." He pulled back and touched his hoof to her heart. "It will not be cliché for me to say that I will be right here for you. As my Warden, it is your duty to be my bridge between this realm and the Dreaming. Whenever you need me, Dawn… you need only to call for me…"

He could feel her tears staining his coat. "I love you, Father…"

"And I you, Dawn." To the others, he said, "All of you. I cannot imagine a world in which I did anything but love you all with all of my heart. I imagine it would be a very dark world indeed."

Dawn pulled back from him, and with a loud sniff, she lit up her horn and teleported a glazed donut out of thin air, almost certainly from her room. She levitated it up to him, a small smile on her face. "For you, Father. I could not think of another possibility for a parting gift, and—"

Silvertongue took it from her with his own magic, giving her a wide grin. "You know, I never imagined that my last meal would be something so simple as a donut."

He took a bite; even though he didn't need to eat, it wasn't as though he couldn't, and the simple pastry was positively delectable. The texture was just the right amount of soft on the inside, gooey on the outside. The glaze was perfectly sweet and not messy whatsoever. It was just the absolute perfect glazed donut.

He laughed. "It's actually rather humbling, when you think about—"

Then, he vanished into nothing.

The donut, along with everything else that wasn't him, fell to the floor; the soulstone no longer possessed an inner golden glow.

*****

Silvertongue gazed out upon a field of gold and orange that stretched out for as far as his eyes could see, an endless expanse of color and light. There were no sensations about his being, no cold or warmth, no wind of which to speak, no smells in the air nor the feeling of solid ground beneath his hooves, and the light surrounding him did not strain his eyes in the slightest. All there was was nothing, and yet everything.

He looked upon himself to find that he still had some facsimile of a corporeal form, which he immediately realized was his mind's way of rationalizing things for him, so accustomed was he to having such a body. He was nude, of course; clothing was of no consequence here for it protected him from nothing, be it from the elements or the scornful eyes of others.

He absently placed his hoof to his chest, to feel for the crystal that had been hanging there, only to find it gone. For a moment he panicked, wondering if something had gone wrong, but almost as quickly he realized that no, nothing had gone wrong whatsoever. He just knew it, and yet he didn't know why he knew it. It was utterly perplexing.

After a moment's thought, he supposed he just wasn't used to this new existence beyond the material world, where he was as much alive as he was dead, or rather, something that was both, yet neither. He couldn't quite explain what he was anymore. What exactly was a deity?

But he knew he had an eternity to think of such things now. All that mattered to him in this very moment was her.

And the instant he thought of her, she was there.

She was not as he remembered her, not exactly. Her form was that of a pony half his size, with a golden coat and those beautiful lavender eyes. She had no mane or tail, nor a mouth or horn, nor any other features that would identify her as who she was, but he needed none of those to know who he was seeing.

Even like this, though, she was more beautiful than anything he'd ever seen.

"My Heart…" he said, not so much a whisper as a thought.

"Silver…" she said, her voice coming from her form and yet not at all. "It has been a long time, hasn't it?"

"Too long. Far too long."

"So, did you do it? Did we win, in the end?"

"We did. Though it cost me everything that mattered to me, I did what needed to be done. The only thing that I regret… is that you were not here to see it happen."

"You stood by your principles through everything, Silver," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "That's why I always loved you. Even after what happened… I still do."

"Can you forgive me, my Heart?"

"Can you forgive yourself?"

He paused, then shook his head. "It will take time… hundreds of years were not enough, for here we are and it still hurts to know what I did, no matter how I might justify it."

"Well, you have a lot of time now, don't you?"

"Yes, I suppose I do." He paused again. "Now that it is all said and done, do you think I made the right decision?"

"No. I think you made the decision that you thought was right at the time. Only the future will tell if it was the right one or not."

"And, as you said, I have plenty of time now."

He moved to embrace her and instead found himself intertwined with her very soul; since there were no sensations in this realm, he couldn't rationalize the feeling as warm or tender, or anything of the sort, really.

But his mind was telling him other sensations, putting together emotions to try and describe the way she felt, the way he felt to have his beloved back with him for the rest of time, knowing that she would be with him to watch over those he'd left behind. And after parsing through it all, the good and the bad, the highs and the lows, he was able to settle on just a single word:

Content.

Comments

[RoboRed]

Time will tell. Sooner or later, only time will tell.

But perhaps there may be a better future going forward. Clearly a few ponies, such as Two-Eighteen, are already having a brighter one. Also, they all took the news of their origin better than expected this time.

I'll be honest in saying I'm not even phased anymore

"fazed", not "phased".

still waiting for the other shoe to drop

[GanonFLCL]

10653227
Good catch!

[hamster wizard]

Silvertongue was real close to swiping that pocket watch.

Different time and place.

[Teraunce]

Well this is shaping up to be a better future.

[My name is R]

As he watched her put that magnificent little pocket watch away, he felt a fleeting sense of curiosity in the back of his mind. The device was clearly powerful, capable of tearing open paths to other worlds with a potent energy source behind it—such as himself—and likely capable of much more. A part of him wanted to look at it and see what sorts of wonders the device held within it. All he had to do was take it.
She sighed and shook her head, wiping her brow of sweat. "Well, that's it. It's all done." She looked up at the sky. "I'll be honest, up until this exact moment I've been waitin' for ya to try somethin' fishy. Ya don't exactly inspire a lot of trust, do ya?"
But he had more important things to do, and so little time to do them in.

I was wondering if he would try something with Winter, right up until that last thought. So I guess I'm just as wary of him as Winter.
That's good, she'll live longer that way.

"Is it done? Are they safe?"

Is it secret? Is it safe?

Lockwood nodded at Dawn. "I, uh… I don't suppose given everything that's happened that any of us will ever see each other again? I know that I consider some of you friends," he said, looking amongst the mares. "I'd hate to think we'd lose that connection just because Twilight and her friends are gone."

I suspect that Curie ain't done with ya yet.

But we cannot wait until they are older than a few years, either, because then their bodies will reject it. The ones that would survive such a process would suffer severe physical trauma, and potentially develop psychological disorders, as Shadowstep did.

So that's what’s up with him. I had wondered whether he actually had powers or was just pulling a Batman.

Well, this was fun. And tha future looks bright.
A Royal Affair is still my favorite story of yours, but this one was good. I enjoyed seeing the connections and discrepancies from the original. All in all, I can't say whether I liked the original or this one better. I definitely plan on continuing to read both storylines. Not next, but soonish.
I'll be seein' ya 'round.

[My name is R]

I was getting ready for bed, and I realized something. Lockwood has personal connections with the single pony with the highest political authority in both of the Northern countries. He may be the single mortal pony with the most powerful political connections this reality has ever seen. I think Lockwood's connections are more powerful as a collective than Silvertongue’s, and on par with Harmonia herself.
Wow. Lockwood holds as much sway over the politics of this world as one of its major deities. ...The dude has serious power, but he would never use it that way. Well, not for himself.